Method and apparatus for continuously measuring the annealing level on wires or strips

ABSTRACT

In a method and apparatus for continuously measuring the annealing level on wires or strips, a wire or strip is passed, in a continuous feed, over a pulley of small diameter, at a tension less than that corresponding to the elastic limit of the material of which the wire or strip is made, so as to produce permanent elongation of 0.1 to 1%, this elongation being taken as a measurement of the annealing level, and utilized to control the annealing level.

This is a division of application Ser. No. 691,608, filed June 1, 1976.

The invention concerns a method and apparatus for continuously measuringthe annealing level on wires or strips.

It applies more particularly to wires and strips made of aluminum or analuminum alloy, copper or a copper alloy or stainless steel.

The mechanical testing methods normally used to ascertain the mechanicalproperties, such as the elastic limit or modulus of elasticity of a wireor strip, consist of taking one or more samples of the product fortesting. This procedure has the advantage of enabling accurate testingapparatus to be used, operating independently of the production line.

On the other hand it has a certain number of disadvantages:

-- only samples are tested, while the greater part of the productionremains unchecked;

-- during the phase when the production line is adjusted, it isnecessary to stop the line so that a sample can be taken, to await theresult of checking then to correct the adjustments, check for a secondtime with the line stopped again, and so on until the desired propertiesare finally obtained by trial and error;

-- in cases where the production line deviates from the adjustmentsduring operation, the manufactured product becomes incorrect until thedefect is revealed by the next sample check; this sometimes means thatlarge quantities of the product are wasted;

-- finally, short-term changes in the adjustment parameters, occurringbetween two samplings as a result of variations in the environment, e.g.in the voltage of the mains electricity, the flow rate of the heatexchanging fluids or in room temperature, may make some parts of themanufactured product incorrect without this being revealed by thechecking facilities.

These disadvantages show the importance of having continuous testingmeans installed on the production line, instantaneously delivering ameasured value which represents the desired mechanical properties.

For example, insulated conductive wires which are used for transmittingtelephone calls have a conductive metal core comprising a copper oraluminum wire which has undergone annealing treatment. It isadvantageous to anneal such wires continuously by the Joule effect in anappropriate annealing oven. In the oven the electric current passesthrough the wire to bring it to the desired annealing temperature, andit is then necessary for the intensity of the current to be accuratelyadjusted since it determines the metallurgical structure obtained. Thecurrent intensity is said to result in a given "annealing level".

Certain mechanical properties depend on the annealing level,particularly the elasticity of the wire in the field of slight permanentdeformations; these properties in turn determine the quality of thecomponent telephone cables known as "quartes", which are assembled toform a telephone cable. If the "quartes" obtained are to be of highquality it is thus essential for the degree of annealing to becontrolled permanently and accurately, in order that the desiredannealing level can be obtained regularly and continuously.

The optimum value for the intensity of the annealing current is notknown exactly a priori since it depends, for a given annealing oven, onthe speed at which the wire passes through, its cross-section, itscomposition and metallurgical history, its initial temperature, on heatexchanges between the moving wire and its environment such as air, watervapor and guiding pulleys and on heat losses by radiation.

The installations used generally have an arrangement for regulating theintensity of the annealing current as a function of the speed at whichthe wire passes through; this is based on an approximate evaluation anda priori on the law which must link these two values to maintain aconstant annealing level when the speed of the wire varies. This currentintensity value is determined by trial and error, resulting in wastingof time, wasting of metal during testing and, above all, in theimpossibility of detecting and correcting any changes in the annealinglevel obtained, due to fluctuations in the above-mentioned factors,while the production line is operating.

The absence of any testing during operation is the reason why manymanufactures are rejected as having an incorrect annealing level. Thelack of such testing becomes particularly troublesome in cases wherealuminum is annealed continuously; here the intensity of the annealingcurrent has to be adjusted very accurately.

This shows the importance of an arrangement which is placed right at theoutlet of the annealing oven and which transmits an electric signalconveying the annealing level actually obtained on the wire and, morespecifically, conveying the mechanical properties of the metal in thefield of slight permanent deformations.

An arrangement of this type is known from French Pat. No. 2,206,000 inthe name of "Leonische Drahtwerke AG". It comprises two capstans whichare rigidly connected and co-axial, of slightly different diameters Dand d, the ratio D/d being e.g. 1.005/1. The wire is wound first overthe capstan of smaller diameter d, then diverted onto a dynamometricpulley before being wound over the capstan of larger diameter D. In thecontinuous advancing movement the wire is elongated, between the twocapstans, in the ratio D/d = 1.005/1. This elongation is associated witha tensile stress which depends particularly on the metallurgical stateof the wire and, more particularly, on its annealing level.

The arrangement has the following disadvantages:

-- the wire is already taut on entering the measuring apparatus and theinitial tension is added to the tension of 0.05% applied by passage overthe two pulleys; this is a first cause of error in measurement;

-- a second cause of error stems from the possibility that the wire maycreep over the capstans; the mechanical tension of the wire on eitherside of a capstan is in fact very different: in the measuring zone thetension exceeds the elastic limit of the wire, whereas on either side ofthe measuring apparatus tension is far lower in order to avoid thedanger of untimely elongation of the wire; the wire is wound over thecapstans at an angle which generally cannot exceed about 270°.

In practice, when the wire is properly annealed and thereby properlydegreased, provided that the tension of the wire on either side of theapparatus is stable and sufficiently high, there will be little creepover the capstans. However, this is not so if these conditions are notfulfilled. For example, with a copper wire which has been cold-drawn orinsufficiently annealed, considerable creeping may take place and thereading would then correspond to a more annealed state than is actuallythe case, in which the wire sets up little resistance to elongation. Thereading is thus reversed and, if the apparatus is used in automaticregulation to control the annealing level, it will initiate a drop inthe electric annealing current, thus tending to increase the error.

The subject matter of the invention involves a method of and apparatusfor continuously measuring the annealing level on wires or strips in amanner so as to remedy the above disadvantages.

In the method of the invention the wire or strip is passed in acontinuous advancing movement over a pulley of small diameter, at atension lower than that corresponding to the elastic limit of thematerial from which the wire or strip is made, the diameter of thepulley and the tension being selected so that such passage produces apermenent elongation of the wire or strip by 0.1 to 1%, and thepermanent elongation is taken as a measuring value, representing themechanical properties of the wire and, more particularly, its annealinglevel.

The apparatus according to the invention comprises an upstream capstanand a downstream capstan. A loose pulley of small diameter is arrangedbetween the two capstans and mounted at the free end of an arm adaptedto rock about a shaft. The arm is equipped with a means of applying aforce F to it, such as a weight hung over it, and with a positiondetector controlling a means for adjusting the rotary speed of one ofthe capstans. A computer enables the relative difference Δv/v betweenthe speeds of the two capstans to be ascertained. The wire passessuccessively over the upstream capstan, the pulley of small diameter andthe downstream capstan.

The invention thus defined is explained with reference to examplesillustrated by the accompanying drawings. In the drawings:

FIGS. 1 and 2 are diagrams of apparatus for continuously measuring theannealing level on wires.

FIG. 3 is a diagram of apparatus for continuously measuring theannealing level on strip.

FIG. 4 shows the curves for elongation at rupture A% measured oncontinuously annealed samples of an aluminum wire 0.5 mm in diameter, asa function of the ratio Δv/v, the relative difference in speed betweenthe measuring pulleys of the FIG. 2 apparatus, for three increasingvalues F1, F2 and F3 of the load applied to the rocking arm.

FIG. 5 is a histogram of the results obtained relating to elongations atrupture A%, and

FIG. 6 shows the curves for elongation at rupture A% measured oncontinuously annealed samples of copper wire 0.8 mm in diameter, as afunction of the ratio Δv/v, the relative difference in speed between themeasuring pulleys of the FIG. 2 apparatus, for three increasing valuesF1, F2, and F3 of the load applied to the rocking arm.

In these figures identical components carry identical references.

The method of continuously measuring the annealing level of wires orstrips is based on the fact that a metal wire which has been annealed toa greater or less degree is liable to slight permanent elongation whenit passes over a pulley of small diameter, at a mechanical tension whichis constant and below its elastic limit. This permanent elongation isthe measuring value which represents the mechanical properties of thewire of strip and, more particularly, its annealing level.

The tension applied to the wire and the diameter of the pulley areselected to give an elongation of 0.1 to 1%. In practice, the diameterof the pulley is generally from 20 to 500 and preferably from 30 to 200times the diameter of the wire or the thickness of the strip.

FIGS. 1, 2 and 3 show three examples of apparatus for carrying out thismethod. In the first two figures the wire is represented by reference 1and arrows 2 show the direction in which it advances continuously.

The FIG. 1 apparatus comprises a supporting plate 3 with shafts rigidlyconnected to it and capstans rotating about the shafts. An upstreamcapstan 4 is driven by a shaft 5 and a downstream capstan 6 by a shaft7. The wire 1 is wound around these two capstans without creep.

Between the two capstans the wire 1 passes over a pulley 8 of smalldiameter rotating loosely on a shaft 9. The shaft 9 is mounted at thefree end of a rocker arm 10 which may pivot about a shaft 11 fixed onthe supporting plate 3. The arm is acted on by a force F which may beproduced by a load 12 hung from it. Wire or strip 1 passes successivelyover upstream capstan 4, loose pulley 8 and downstream capstan 6,forming a loop 13 to permit free displacement of rocker arm 10.

Force F produced e.g. by load 12 acts on rocker arm 10 and thus on loosepulley 8 mounted at its free end. The force applies the desiredmechanical tension to wire or strip 1. A position detector 14 makes itpossible to record the position of arm 10 and to control a means 15 foradjusting the rotary speed of the upstream or downstream capstan. Thusit is possible to keep loose pulley 8 in a correct average position,whatever the elongation of the wire, by changing the speed of one of thetwo capstans according to the position of arm 10.

Each of the capstans has two functions:

1. to allow the wire to be subjected, between them, to strong mechanicaltension, close to its elastic limit, without the tension beingtransmitted upstream or downstream of the capstans;

2. to ascertain the linear speed of the wire before and after elongationon the loose pulley (this is done by measuring their rotary speeds); therelative difference Δv/v between the two speeds is automaticallycalculated in a computer 16 and conveys the relative elongation of thewire during its passage over loose pulley 8.

It should be noted that several of the functions described above canusefully be combined with comparable functions existing in a continuousannealing installation, thus simplifying the construction of the wholeunit. For example:

-- annealing ovens frequently have capstans for stabilizing the speed ofthe wire; one of these members may act as the upstream or downstreamcapstan;

-- the rotary speed of the capstans of the annealing oven is frequentlymeasured for the purpose of controlling the intensity of the annealingcurrent; this measurement may be used in calculating the relativedifference between the speeds of the two capstans;

-- the loose pulley 8 acts as an accumulator to adjust the speed of thewire, a function already provided at the outlet from the annealingovens.

An example of an improved embodiment is illustrated in FIG. 2.

Wire 1 advances in the direction of arrow 2 and passes successively overupstream capstan 4, around which it is wound (capstan 4 being driven byshaft 5 fixed onto supporting plate 3), then over a pulley 17 of normaldiameter, that is to say, considerably larger than that of pulley 8(pulley 17 turning loosely on a shaft 18 mounted on the free end ofrocker arm 10, which is pivoted at its other end on shaft 11 rigidlyconnected to plate 3), and finally over downstream capstan 6, aroundwhich it is wound (capstan 6 being driven by shaft 7 which is likewisefixed to plate 3). The position of arm 10 is recorded by positiondetector 14.

Located between upstream capstan 4 and loose pulley 17, the arrangementalso includes the pulley 8 of small diameter, mounted loosely on shaft9, which this time is fixed on supporting plate 3. Pulley 8 is precededand followed by two low-inertia measuring pulleys, pulley 19 on shaft20, mounted between upstream capstan 4 and pulley 8, and pulley 21 onshaft 22, mounted between pulley 8 and pulley 17. Shafts 20 and 22 aremounted on supporting plate 3, and pulley 21 must be able to turn veryfreely about its shaft 22. The wire is wound around pulley 8.

Rocker arm 10 supporting loose pulley 17 is subjected to a preset forceF, e.g. by the action of load 12 which, when transmitted to the shaft ofpulley 17, enables the desired tension to be applied to wire 1. Detector14 of the position of rocker arm 10 makes it possible to control theautomatic adjustment of the speed of the upstream capstan 4 ordownstream capstan 6. Thus loose pulley 17 can be kept in a correctaverage position, whatever the elongation of the wire, by changing thespeed of one of the two capstans as a function of the position of thearm. The capstans make it possible for a strong mechanical tension to beapplied to wire 1 in the measuring zone, without the high tension beingtransmitted upstream and downstream of the capstans.

Loose measuring pulleys 19 and 21 make it possible to measure the linearspeed of the wire before and after its elongation; it is elongated bypassing over pulley 8 of small diameter, which in this example is nolonger fixed to the end of rocker arm 10. Thus the measurement is takenunder conditions of great reliability since all the parameters are wellknown.

In particular, the mechanical tension of wire 1 when it passes overpulley 8 is well known, for low-inertia pulley 21, turning freely on itsshaft, faithfully transmits the mechanical tension applied by pulley 17,which is subjected to preset force F. The measurement of the elongationof wire 1, carried out by measuring the speed ratio of pulleys 19 and21, is independent of the amount of creeping of the wire over capstans 4and 6. There is no creeping over measuring pulleys 19 and 21, for themechanical tension of the wire is substantially the same on either sideof these pulleys.

A known electronic computer 16 (dividing module) converts speed ratio ofthe two pulleys into an electric signal which can be used forcontinuously displaying the annealing level obtained and also forcontrolling that level by feed-back to the generator supplying theelectric current for annealing.

The method applies equally to thin strips and even to thick stripsintended for embossing, and the apparatus shown in FIG. 3 applies moreparticularly to this possibility.

The suitability of brass plates continuously annealed in a continuousfurnace for embossing depends on the size of the grains of annealedmetal. This in turn is closely linked with the annealing level and thuswith the mechanical properties revealed in the process described above.

Strip 23 advances in the direction of arrow 24. It is wound successivelyover a unit of two upstream capstans 25 and 26 forming an S-shapedblock, a measuring drum 27, a drum 28 of small diameter fulfilling thesame function as pulley 8 in the previous examples, a second measuringdrum 29, a drum 30 mounted at the free end of rocker arm 10, and a unitof two downstream capstans 31 and 32 forming a second S-shaped block.Arm 10 can rock about shaft 11; it is acted on by a force F producede.g. by a load 12 hung over it. Position detector 14 records theposition of arm 10; it controls the rotary speed of one of the capstanblocks 25-26 or 31-32. All the capstans can turn around shafts mountedon a supporting plate 3, except for capstan 30 which can be displacedwith the free end of arm 10 due to the loop 33 formed by metal strip 23.

Operation is identical with that described above in connection withexample 2: capstans 4 and 6 are simply replaced by capstan blocks 25-26and 32-32 because of the need for accurate feeding of strip 23.

With the aid of computer 16, the relative speed difference betweenmeasuring capstans 28 and 29 provides a signal representing theannealing level of strip 23.

If pulley 8 and capstan 28 are small enough in diameter to causeelongation of wire 1 or strip 23, it is obviously preferable for theother pulleys and capstans to have diameters large enough not to produceany deformation of the wire or strip.

FIG. 4 represents the curves for elongation at rupture A% measured oncontinuously annealed samples of an aluminum wire 0.5 mm in diameter, asa function of the ratio Δv/v, the relative difference in speed betweentwo measuring pulleys 19 and 21 in the FIG. 2 apparatus, observed duringthe corresponding annealing process, for three increasing values F1, F2,and F3 of the load applied to rocker arm 10.

500 kg of this wire is produced, the desired elongation level A% isapproximately 25% with a minimum of 20%, and Δv/v is chosen as 0.3%. Thevalues for elongation at rupture A%, taken on a basis of 200 mm andmeasured on 128 samples taken in 10 reels of wire, are from 21 to 29%with a distribution shown in the histogram in FIG. 5. This result, whichis appropriate for normal production of aluminum wire, is quiteimpossible to obtain with a conventional annealing oven not equippedwith means for measuring the annealing level, and is better than whatcan be obtained, other conditions being equal, with the apparatusmentioned above.

FIG. 6 shows the curves for elongation at rupture A% measured oncontinuously annealed samples of a copper wire 0.8 mm in diameter, as afunction of the ratio Δv/v observed during the corresponding annealingprocess, for three increasing values F1, F2 and F3 of the load appliedto rocker arm 10 of the FIG. 2 apparatus.

The apparatus shows no tendency to lack of balance, and the correlationbetween A% and Δv/v is excellent, whatever level of annealing isrequired.

Tests carried out with the FIG. 3 apparatus on a thick brass stripintended for embossing show the perfect correlation between the valuesof Δv/v measured with the apparatus and the grain size of the metal. Itis possible for the quality of treatment given in the annealing oven tobe continuously checked and for the temperature of the oven to beadjusted accordingly.

The invention applies to continuous, non-destructive testing of anyphysical or mechanical property or characteristic liable to be connectedwith the annealing level of any material in the form of a wire or a thinor thick strip.

What is claimed is:
 1. An apparatus for continuously measuring andadjusting the annealing level on wire or the like comprising, at thedischarge end of a continuous annealing installation, an upstreamcapstan, a freely rotating pulley of a diameter smaller than saidupstream capstan downstream of the upstream capstan, a pivotally mountedarm, said arm including a free end mounting said pulley, means forapplying a force to said arm tending to bias said arm and pulley in afirst direction, a downstream capstan, means for controlling the speedof one of the capstans in response to the position of the arm, the wireor the like passing successively over the upstream capstan, the armmounted pulley to the side thereof toward which the pulley is biased,and the downstream capstan, the diameter of the pulley and the tensionin the wire as it moves thereabout being such so as to effect apermanent elongation of the wire or the like as it passes about thepulley and means responsive to the difference in relative speed of thecapstans, effected by the elongation of the wire or the liketherebetween, for use in adjusting the annealing level.
 2. The apparatusof claim 1 wherein the diameter of the pulley is from 20 to 500 timesthe diameter of the wire or the like.
 3. The apparatus of claim 1wherein the diameter of the pulley is from 30 to 200 times the diameterof the wire or the like.
 4. An apparatus for continuously measuring andadjusting the annealing level on wire or the like comprising, at thedischarge end of a continuous annealing installation, in sequence anupstream capstan, a first measuring pulley, a wire elongating pulley ofa diameter smaller than said upstream capstan, a second measuringpulley, a tensioning pulley, and a downstream capstan, means forapplying a biasing force to said tensioning pulley, means for adjustingthe rotary speed of one of said capstans, a position detector associatedwith said tensioning pulley and responsive to movement thereof tocontrol the means for adjusting the rotary speed of one of saidcapstans, the diameter of the wire elongating pulley and the tensionproduced by the tensioning pulley combining so as to effect a permanentelongation as the wire or the like passes about the wire elongatingpulley, the elongation of the wire or the like producing a difference inthe relative speed of the measuring pulleys, and means for sensing thedifference in the relative speed of the measuring pulleys forcontrolling the annealing level.
 5. The apparatus of claim 4 wherein thediameter of the wire elongating pulley is from 20 to 500 times thediameter of the wire or the like.
 6. The apparatus of claim 4 whereinthe diameter of the wire elongating pulley is from 30 to 200 times thediameter of the wire.
 7. The apparatus of claim 4 including an elongatedarm mounted for pivotal movement, said tensioning pulley being freelyrotatably mounted on said arm for pivotal movement therewith.
 8. Anapparatus for continuously measuring and adjusting the annealing levelon strips comprising an upstream capstan unit, a first measuring drum, afreely rotating drum of a diameter smaller than said upstream capstan, asecond measuring drum, a strip tensioning drum, and a downstream capstanunit, means for applying a position adjusting force to said tensioningdrum, means for sensing the position of the tensioning drum andadjusting the rotary speed of one of the capstan units in responsethereto, the diameter of the freely rotating drum and the tensionapplied by the tensioning drum being such so as to effect a permanentelongation in the strip as it passes about the freely rotating drum,said measuring drums sensing the elongation, and means responsive to thesensed elongation for controlling the annealing level.
 9. The apparatusof claim 8 wherein the diameter of the drum is from 20 to 50 times thethickness of the strip.
 10. The apparatus of claim 8 wherein thediameter of the drum is from 30 to 200 times the thickness of the strip.11. An apparatus for continuously measuring and adjusting the annealinglevel on wire or the like comprising spaced upstream and downstreamcapstan means, a rotating deforming member positioned between saidcapstan means, means between said capstan means for applying a tensionto the wire or the like less than that corresponding to the elasticlimit thereof and simultaneously controlling the speed of at least onecapstan, the configuration of the deforming member being such so as to,in conjunction with the applied tension, cause a permanent elongation ofthe wire or the like within a predetermined range, and means responsiveto the difference in relative speed of the capstans, effected by theelongation of the wire or the like therebetween for sensing theelongation and controlling the annealing level in response to saidelongation.
 12. The apparatus of claim 11 wherein said deforming membercomprises a freely rotating pulley.